If you think Age of Empires IV is just a chill game, think again. Players can finally show off their skills in battle with the planned introduction of 1v1 Ranked Seasons. Winning lets them progress through Ranked Divisions and earn exclusive rewards.
Veterans of the game know that ranked play has long been part of the series. In a post, the team at Relic Entertainment revealed that this game is the first of the franchise to offer structured seasons. For now, Ranked Seasons is limited to 1v1 matches.
Closed Preview
To prepare for Ranked Seasons, there will be a closed preview from January 20 to January 28. To join, follow these steps.
- Sign up as an Age Insider.
- Confirm communication preferences.
- Ensure your DxDiag is uploaded (This is a good step to check even if you have a pre-existing account!).
- Wait to hear by email with access steps and instructions on how to best provide feedback and bug reports.
- Those who qualify for the closed beta are given an access key for the Age of Empires IV beta product, which can then be used to download and launch this preview.
- This closed beta is good for those who enjoy the game's Ranked mode. It's also open to those who want to try Ranked.
Upcoming Patches
In addition to the closed beta for the new feature, a patch is scheduled to be released this month. It’s going to focus on pointed balancing changes and bug fixes across different civilizations. Some of the things being looked into include the Mongol civilization and Fire Lancer unit feeling overpowered. There are also some Delhi Sultanate bugs to fix.
After that, players can look forward to the Spring 2022 Update. One of the things arriving with this update is the user-generated content and tools. If that sounds too technical, it just means that the game will offer mods.
More content is coming this year, so expect new features to arrive. Learn more about upcoming content here.
Age of Empires IV is available on PC.
